Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-06-01

lory RallOpS up ana Gown pennsylvania
avenue, the cannons boom at daybreak, the
bands play and the shrill notes Of the fife are
waited over the city by the same breezes
which cause a thousand flags to fiutter. The
forty-fve acres comprising the monument
grounds are covered with men and tents,
and the stiff backed soldiers are placed
on guard around it as though there was an
enemy near at hand. A week ago there was
nothing here but green grass and silvery
waters. The monument cast its shadow only
on a few sightseeIs and the solitude of the
mall, the wide expane of park which
reaches from the White House to the
Capitol, was as quiet almost as Goldsmith's
deserted village. Like the palace of Aladdin
buildings and tents have sprung up in night
and now you will find no buster place in the
United States than here. 1t is city of can
vas. The tents are arranged in streets and
squares. Each is built upon platform Of
pine, and the tops of nearly all have flags
floating from them. Camp George Washing
ton it is called, and what glorious place for
camp! Carpetcd with the softest of fresh
green grass, warmed by the bright southern
sun and cooled by the gentle breezes which
blow from the Potomac now as they did
when they famed George Washington's
checks, its every surrounding isthat of poetry
and beauty. 1t is full of history, too, and the
militia will go away feeling better acquainted
with their own country from the contact. At
one end lies the bureau of engraving and
printing, the great money factory of the gov
eminent. At the back is the brick agricul-
tural department, and near it the great
stone Smithsonian and the National museum,
each Of which is worth trip across the con-
tnent to see. In the center of the camp,
looking all the larger for the little tents and
IL. a.
Washington monument, with its aluminium
point sos feet in the air and its $4,000 tons
crowded upon a base not larger than the
foundation of Pennsylvania barn. Its slope
upward is SO gradual that 500 feet from where
those tents are standing house could be built,
each side of which would be thirty five feet
long, and if its top sloped Off to the point at
which that bit Of aluminium now is it
could have three stories each ten feet high,
and its View would be better than that of any
observatory in the world. Standing at the
monument, the camp is spread out all around
it. At the north is the drill grounds and
back of them the treasury department, the
snow white executive mansion, and the state,
war and navy departments in the biggest
granite building in the world. That great
white, tomb like structure over there on the
hill, which looks Likes Turkish mosque white
washed, is the natlOEal OBSERVATORY, duu
away across the river you may see Arlington,
where Gen. Les was living at the time the
war began, and where the militia will all 60
on the 30th of May to honor the graves of the
soldiers in the cemetery there. The Smith
aonian grounds form n forest of trees, ant
!horc are plenty OF good loafng places ani
shady hooks within it.
About 100 feet or more below the monu
ment runs the Potomac, and the soldiers are
universally surprised at the wonderful inn
proyement going Oh upon the flats. To-day
saw game of baseball played on ground
which year ago was covered with water, anG
hundreds of acres of park are being rapidly
made out Of the cid river bed.
This diagram which | here give will furnish
some idea of the location of the various
troops. Fourteenth street separates the camp
from the Smithsonian ground, and this is the
street upon which Newspaper row is located.
and which crosses Pennsylvania avenue at
Wizards hotel. The winding road which
runs through the grounds is a favorite, drive
of the capital, and is known as Executive